” Founded  on  Faith 
Porter  Has  Kept  Faith” 


TO  SA\'E  FOR  CHURCH  AND  NATION  THE 
REPRESENTATIVE  FAMILIES  OF  THE  SOUTH 
AND  TO  GIVE  DESERVING  BOYS  AN  EDUCA¬ 
TION,  OTHERWISE  UNATTAINABLE.” 


oa) 

<t> 


V^HAT  was  the  great  unselfish  ideal  which  lead  to  the 
founding  of  the  Porter  Military  Academy  in  December, 
1867,  when  there  was  not  a  school  of  any  kind  open  to 
the  white  children  of  Charleston.  But  distinct  from  the 
history  of  many  schools,  the  Porter  Military  Academy 
grew  out  of  the  calamities  of  war  between  the  states  and 
rose  in  faith  as  the  spirit  of  the  New  South  rose  from  the 
ashes  of  a  land  torn  by  four  years  of  devastating  strife. 
It  was  a  critical  hour  in  the  life  of  Charleston.  The 
School  was  begun  without  a  cent  of  endowment,  without 
equipment,  or  buildings,  without  a  campus,  a  faculty  or 
a  l)oard  of  trustees.  It  existed  solely  in  the  heart 
and  brain  of  one  man,  and  that  man  a  clergyman  of 
the  Church,  with  small  means  and  few  friends — the 
Rev.  A,  Toomer  Porter.  His  splendid  determination 
to  devote  his  life  to  the  cause  of  Christian  education  can 
be  paralleled  only  by  the  example  of  such  men  as  Gen¬ 
erals  Robert  E.  Lee,  Kirby  Smith  and  Gorgas. 

2 


^'Founded  on  Faith^^ 


Vv  ith  odds  and  ends  of  furniture,  borrowed  crockery, 
table  linen  and  one  hundred  beds  condemned  as  unfit  for 
use,  the  Porter  Military  Academy,  then  known  as  The 
Holy  Communion  Church  Institute,  began  its  great  work 
under  Mr.  John  Gadsden  as  principal,  who  accepted  the 
post  actuated  by  the  same  motives  of  self-sacrifice  and 
patriotism  to  his  State  that  have  always  characterized 
those  connected  with  the  School.  In  the  early  days  of 
the  School’s  history  and  throughout  frequent  years  of 
depression  many  members  of  the  faculty  served  without 
pay. 

There  was  never  a  time  when  repairs  and  equipment 
were  not  urgently  needed,  but  fortunately  those  interested 
in  the  welfare  of  the  Academy  had  sufficient  faith  to 
make  the  necessary  improvements  and  then  wait  for  the 
money. 

It  has  been  this  faith  and  determination,  this  coura¬ 
geous  spirit  of  conservatism  which  has  developed  the 
Porter  Military  Academy — which  has  enabled  her  to 
send  forth  into  the  world  men  worthy  of  the  best  ideals 
and  traditions  of  the  South. 

Twelve  years  after  the  School  opened,  the 
Rev.  A.  Toomer  Porter  secured  a  grant  from  Congress 
and  the  President  to  occupy  the  Arsenal  Buildings  at 
Ashley  Avenue,  where  the  School  now  stands.  In  the 
fiftv-six  vears  of  Porter’s  existence  she  has  educated 
hundreds  of  sons  of  impoverished  families.  Here  over 
two  generations  of  Charleston  iDoys,  and  boys  from  all 
South  Carolina  totalling  some  sixteen  hundred,  have 
been  taught  the  standards  of  Christian  manhood. 


..  auiern  Pamphlets 
r:are  Book  Collection 
UNC-Chapel  Hill 


3 

592971 


The  Porter  Preparation 

o  he  Porter  preparation  has  always  been  a  manifold 
one;  it  has  not  simply  prepared  a  boy  along-  moral  and 
scholastic  lines,  enabling  him  to  pass  his  college  entrance 
examinations — it  goes  further.  It  prepares  a  boy  to 
properly  select  his  friends,  to  work  diligently,  to  use 
money  judiciously,  and  in  teaching  him  the  strength  and 
beauty  of  religion,  it  gives  him  a  kinder  and  broader 
outlook 

The  Porter  Military  Academy  prepares  the  Porter 
boy  to  meet  life.  It  develops  his  leadership,  self-reliance, 
confidence,  initiative  and  a  keen  sense  of  duty;  for  these 
are  the  fundamentals  of  all  success. 

From  the  earliest  inception  of  the  School,  Dr.  Porter 
and  those  who  have  since  carried  on  his  work  real¬ 
ized  that  a  boy  gets  his  preparation  for  life  but  once, 
and  this  is  during  his  period  of  schooling,  when  he  is  at 
his  most  impressionable  age.  Then  it  is  that  many  of 
the  habits  of  after  life  are  formed;  whether  these  are  to 
l)e  good  or  bad  depends  largely  on  the  environment  sur¬ 
rounding  him  during  the  years  of  his  development. 
Porter  has  ever  been  alert  to  insure  the  future  of  your 
sons. 

Through  the  School  day  by  day  and  year  after  year 
has  throbbed  the  new  blood  of  the  South  nurtured  on 
thoughts  of  finer  things,  on  courage,  endurance,  gener¬ 
osity  and  nobility  of  character. 


4 


An  Atmosphere  of  Culture 

<JIt  is  easier  to  acquire  habits  of  study,  a  love  for  books 
and  an  appreciation  of  culture  in  an  atmosphere  of  cul¬ 
ture,  among  people  who  themselves  appreciate  these 
things.  But  such  an  atmosphere  cannot  be  made  in 
weeks  or  months.  It  is  the  product  of  long  years — of 
growth,  of  peaceful  beauty,  somber  tragedy  and  of 
romance. 

Few  cities  in  the  United  States  and  certainly  none 
in  the  South  have  greater  claim  to  these  than  Charles¬ 
ton;  and  the  Porter  Military  Academy  housed  in  the 
Old  Arsenal  is  a  living  memorial,  determined  to  con¬ 
serve  and  perpetuate  these  splendid  traditions. 

The  School  situated  amid  these  old  surroundings  oc¬ 
cupies  an  entire  block  on  Ashley  Avenue  in  the  west 
central  and  most  healthy  part  of  the  City  of  Charleston, 
S.  C.  It  is  here  that  Porter  men  are  taught  the  lessons 
of  life.  Here  they  learn  to  know  the  great  kindness  of 
God,  to  appreciate  His  works  and  to  prepare  their  bodies 
and  souls  to  serve  mankind  in  whatever  vocations  they 
are  best  fitted  to  pursue. 

Porter  can  not  create  men,  but  given  the  boy  she  can 
care  for  him  and  so  guide  him,  so  influence  his  thoughts 
and  his  daily  life  by  surrounding  him  with  proper  asso¬ 
ciates,  that  she  has  conserved  to  these  younger  g-enera- 
tions  all  the  fine  qualities  of  southern  gentlemen. 


5 


The  Acknowledgement  of  Achievement 

C^hat  the  results  of  a  Porter  training-  have  been  bene¬ 
ficial  and  broadly  felt  are  best  determined  by  the  recog¬ 
nition  received  from  other  educational  institutions,  from 
the  government  and  the  state. 

Scholarships  have  been  granted  for  Porter  students 
in  Trinity  College,  Union,  Schnectady,  Hobart,  Se- 
wanee,  St.  Stephens,  Washington  and  Lee,  University 
of  Virginia  and  Harvard.  The  Porter  Military  Acad¬ 
emy  is  a  member  of  the  Association  of  Military  Col¬ 
leges  and  Schools  of  the  United  States.  It  is  a  mem¬ 
ber  and  is  on  the  accredited  list  of  the  Association  of 
Colleges  and  Preparatory  Schools  of  the  Southern 
States,  which  means  that  Porter  graduates  may  enter 
without  further  examination  any  college  in  the  United 
States  which  accepts  students  on  certificates. 

Members  of  the  second  class  (third  year)  have  been 
able  to  enter  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  the  Uni¬ 
versity  of  South  Carolina,  of  Georgia,  The  Citadel,  the 
College  of  Charleston,  the  Georgia  University  of  Tech¬ 
nology,  the  Virginia  Military  Institute,  Wofford  Col¬ 
lege  and  all  others  of  the  same  class. 

In  these  ways  her  graduates  have  been  recognized  and 
her  work  has  been  approved  by  educational  institutions. 


6 


The  Federal  and  State  Qovernments  Recognize 

Porter’s  Work 

o  he  War  Department  details  one  officer  and  one  nom 
commissioned  officer  to  the  Porter  Military  Academy 
to  be  instructors  in  military  science. 

Those  students  who  graduate  with  high  marks  are 
admitted  to  West  Point  and  Annapolis  without  other 
examination  (except  the  usual  physicial  one  required 
for  all  admissions). 

As  a  further  mark  of  indorsement  of  the  splendid 
work  Porter  is  doing  for  the  youth  of  the  State  the  War 
Department  allows  every  boy  in  the  R.  O.  T.  C.,  who 
deserves  it,  to  attend  an  R.  O.  T.  C.  summer  training 
camp  at  the  expense  of  the  Department. 

Appreciating  the  value  of  a  Porter  training  the  State 
designated  Porter  as  the  one  school  in  South  Carolina 
to  receive  equipment  from  the  Navy  Department  for 
naval  training. 

That  Porter’s  graduates  have  been  successful  con¬ 
tributors  to  the  scheme  of  things  is  conclusively  shown 
by  the  names  of  old  Porter  boys  which  api^ear  in  the 
records  of  the  Church,  the  Army  and  Navy,  educational 
institutions,  large  successful  business  enterprises  and  in 
professional  and  missionary  fields. 


7 


Porter  Points  with  Pride  to  Her  Alumni 

mono*  whom  are  found: 


In  flic  Service  of  the  Church: 

One  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  South  Carolina. 

One  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  of  Sacramento. 

The  Chaplain  of  Columbia  University. 

The  present  and  late  Vice-Chancellor  of  the  University 
of  the  South. 


In  the  Service  of  their  Country: 

One  major  general  in  command  of  a  division. 

Two  Congressional  Medal  of  Honor  men  and  scores  of 
high  ranking  army  and  navy  officers. 

In  the  Professions: 

One  United  States  Government  servant  sent  to  Europe 
to  represent  the  United  States  in  admiralty  law. 

The  Secretary  of  the  National  Museum  in  Washington. 
One  dean  of  the  South  Carolina  Law  School. 

The  late  United  States  District  Attorney  to  Florida. 
The  Chief  Biologist  of  the  University  of  Wisconsin. 

In  Public  Service: 

One  Congressman. 

The  President  of  the  Charleston  Chamber  of  Commerce. 
A  former  minister  to  Russia  and  Denmark. 

In  Successful  Bitsiness  Enterprises: 

Presidents  of  two  of  the  leading  cotton  compress  com¬ 
panies  in  Charleston. 

The  editor  of  one  of  the  South’s  leading  papers. 

The  president  of  one  of  the  largest  banks  in  the  South. 
The  vice-president  of  a  large  public  utility  corporation. 


8 


Porter's  Faculty,  Worthy  of  Their  Trust 

o  he  utmost  care  has  always  been  exercised  in  the 
selection  of  Porter’s  faculty.  It  is  one  of  the  primary 
rules  of  the  Academy  to  employ  no  instructors  who 
have  not  made  teaching*  their  life  work.  They  must 
furthermore  have  had  previous  experience  and  be  spe¬ 
cialists  in  some  one  branch,  for  those  responsible  for 
Porter’s  destiny,  long*  ago,  decided  they  did  not  want 
young*  men  without  experience  to  practice  on  Porter 
students. 

To  gain  men  of  national  rather  than  local  training. 
Porter’s  teachers  have  as  far  as  possible  been  drawn 
from  southern  men  educated  in  the  North  or  vice  versa. 
The  result  of  this  practice  has  been  favorably  com¬ 
mented  on  from  many  sources  and  it  w^as  only  a  short 
time  ago  that  Porter’s  faculty  was  termed  “equal  if  not 
superior  to  any  preparatory  school  of  the  South.”  Al¬ 
most  all  members  of  the  facultv  have  had  from  three 
to  six  years’  experience  in  various  other  schools  before 
coming*  to  Porter  and  have  been  with  Porter  anywhere 
from  two  to  twenty  years,  which  in  itself  shows  a  fine 
interest  in  and  loyalty  to  the  School.  Aloreover  it  as¬ 
sures  a  personal  interest  in  the  iDoys  and  their  daily 
prol)lems,  giving*  to  them  a  better  background  than  it 
would  otherwise  be  possible  to  obtain. 


9 


Porter  s  Service  National  and  International 

3For  fifty-six  years  the  School  has  unceasingly  served 
the  Church,  the  Community  and  the  Nation.  A  con¬ 
tribution  beyond  all  calculation,  yet  an  obligation  which 
all  should  appreciate  and  share — MUST  SHARE,  if 
the  Porter  Military  Academy  is  to  continue  its  heritage 
of  moulding  Christian  gentlemen. 

Almost  every  state  in  the  country  and  particularly 
those  in  the  South  have  intimately  felt  the  benefits  of  a 
Porter  education.  Foreign  countries  too  have  sent  their 
sons  to  Porter. 

Friends  in  France  and  England  have  been  contribu¬ 
tors  toward  its  existence  and  maintenance  as  have  also 
many  families  of  the  North.  Sons  have  come  from  far 
afield  to  receive  their  education — some  of  these  have 
been  unable  to  speak  English  on  entering  the  School; 
but  have  left  Porter’s  gates  fluent  in  the  language  of  our 
country,  rich  in  the  friendships  made  at  Porter  and  with 
a  firm  belief  in  the  traditions  of  the  South. 

Since  1908  Porter  has  awarded  331  scholarships — of 
which  141  were  held  by  the  sons  of  widows  and  152  by 
the  sons  of  ministers.  The  cost  of  these  taken  from  the 
Academy’s  operating  income  has  been  $37,000. 

Such  is  Porter’s  history  and  such  has  been  her  service 
to  the  sons  of  the  South.  The  far  reaching  results  of 
this  training  are  daily  acknowledged.  Now  the  School 
needs  your  support. 


10 


^  Porter  s  Heritage  at  Stake 

^  or  more  than  half  a  century  the  Porter  Alilitary 
Academy  has  given  of  itself  to  help  others  succeed  in 
life.  Many  boys  never  paid  anything*  for  their  education 
— some  paid  only  a  pittance. 

The  average  revenue  per  pupil  for  last  year  was 
$385.20  while  the  average  expense  to  the  Academy  per 
pupil  was  $500.  This  means  that  every  boy  Porter  edu¬ 
cates  today  costs  the  School,  above  revenue  received, 
$114.80. 

The  late  war  has  so  increased  prices,  time  has  told  so 
heavily  on  the  buildings  and  equipment  of  the  School 
that  it  is  no  longer  possible  to  maintain  the  standing  of 
Porter  or  safeguard  the  health  and  development  of  these 
boys  unless  help  is  given. 

$200,000  \s  Urgently  Needed 

To  meet  existing  obligations,  to  improve  the  School’s 
equipment  and  to  provide  a  fund  for  scholarships  and 
contingencies — Porter’s  obligations  are  the  result  of  un¬ 
stinted  service  to  deserving  boys. 

Provision  must  be  made  to  perpetuate  this  service, 
since  the  School  cannot  properly  be  run  to  make  profits. 

$200,000  Will  Do  It 

By  giving  to  Porter  you  are  investing  in  character, 
you  are  helping*  to  conserve  the  oldest  Church  School  in 
Charleston  and  the  State — one  of  the  oldest  in  the 
South.  You  are  enabling*  the  boys  of  coming*  genera¬ 
tions  to  enjoy  the  advantages  of  a  cultural  education 
and  you  are  keeping*  alive  the  cherished  memories  of 
thousands  of  others. 

These  Things  Are  Worthy  of  Your  Support. 


11 


What  Other  Civic  and  Religious  Bodies  Have 
Recently  Done  for  Their  Schools 
in  the  South 

Nczvhcrry  College.  The  Lutheran  Church  has  given 
it  $175,000,  and  is  to  give  it  $50,000  more.  The  Town 
of  Newberry,  $30,000. 

Furman  (Baptist)  at  Greenville.  The  Church  has  given 
it  $400,000,  the  City  of  Greenville, $80,000  and  the  presi¬ 
dent  of  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  last  summer  made 
his  organization  partly  responsible  for  the  raising  of 
$275,000  more. 

Converse  (Presbyterian)  received  from  the  City  of 
Spartanburg  $300,000. 

The  Presbyterian  College  at  Clinton  received  from  the 
Church,  $315,000  and  will  soon  get  $100,000  more. 
Clinton  has  a  population  of  4,000,  including  about  1,200 
negroes  and  a  considerable  mill  population,  yet  it  has  of 
late  given  this  educational  institution  a  total  of  $75,000. 
The  Presbyterian  Church  is  to  give  $18,000  this  year. 

Carlisle  Military  Institute  at  Bamberg  has  received  from 
the  Church  $75,000  and  will  receive  this  year  from  the 
Church  $30,000.  The  Town  of  Bamberg,  with  2,210 
population,  has  given  $17,000. 

St.  Marys  Seliool,  Raleigh,  received  from  the  Church 
$2(30,000,  and  from  the  (Sity  of  Raleigh  $30,000. 

WELL-TO-DO  PERSONS  IN  THESE  CITIES 
AND  INTERESTED  IN  THESE  INSTITUTIONS 
HAVE  GIVEN  TO  THEM  rNDIVIDUAL 
AMOUNTS  RANGING  EROM  $17,000  TO  $35,000. 


The  Porter  Military  Academy 

Campaign  Headquarters 
505  Peoples’  Bank  Building,  Charleston,  S.  C. 


